Pick Your Poison
by pork-cutlet-bowl
Summary: Atemu is on fire. He'd just opened his third hotel and restaurant chain and he was on his way to celebrate at the heart of Domino City. He's expecting the best of the best guests, but no one better than his ex Yuugi Mutou, whose heart Atemu broke into pieces. Thanks to his bonehead assistant Tristan who invited Yuugi, Atemu now has the face the man he loved so long ago.
1. Chapter 1

Hello again, everyone! I wanted to write a good Blindshipping story because Atemu seems to always get the short end of the stick in my stories so I wanted to come up with a story that centered around just him and Yuugi. And I actually like spelling their names like this better so without further ado, here's the first chapter.

 **Warning:** Drama, romance, sex, and a little craziness.

 **Disclaimer** : Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, and I own nothing and make nothing.

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Atemu looked down at his watch and unfortunately saw that he was apparently going to be late to his own damn party if this traffic didn't start to pick up in the next twenty minutes. Tapping his finger on the door handle, he tried poking his head outside of the window to see just how far the venue was from here and in the far distance he could see a red carpet equipped with annoying paparazzi and eager looking fans already.

"Unbelievable," he said under his breath. "Ryou, isn't there a way you can plow through these cars?"

"Not unless I had a monster truck, and you can't afford the bad publicity," his driver in the front seat said with a snicker. "It's right up the street Atemu, no worries."

Oh, but there was plenty to worry about. First of all, Atemu had left his assistant and close friend Tristan in charge of coming up with a guest list and for some odd reason, refused to show Atemu who he had invited, but knowing the guy for ten years, Atemu trusted his judgment, or at least tried to. He knew how much Tristan had to convince Atemu for this job.

Atemu cleared his throat at the hot memory, and looked down at his watch again. Ten more minutes had passed and this traffic wasn't even moving one inch. Atemu also noticed more limousines and luxury cars arriving on the scene, which didn't help his worries at all. This was the first time he let Tristan work on his own for this long without Atemu around and he didn't want to risk losing potential networkers and new clientele because his assistant was too incompetent to keep the party at bay.

No way in hell was he going to lose his vacation home in Florida.

Ryou didn't even see it coming. He yelped when there was a loud stomp on top of the car. He turned around to talk to Atemu, but he wasn't there.

"What the—Atemu, get back here!" Ryou called out but it was already too late. Atemu was scurrying across and jumping across the nearby cars like he was some acrobat. The guy just seemed to be full of suprises.

Ryou figured he wasn't going to stop the guy after that. Not that he could, but he opened the sunroof and sat on the ledge to get a better look at Atemu. He was already across the street! Ryou grabbed his cell phone and dialed Tristan's number.

"Hey. Hey—listen dipshit! Boss is making a beeline for the door. Yes we're still stuck in traffic—he pulled some Spiderman shit and jumped from car to car all the way towards the red carpet, so I suggest you make sure everything's in ship shape. I don't care if her vag held the keys to the city, make sure everyone on that guest list has shown up!"

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Yes _mum_ ," he frowned before he hung up the phone. When he shoved the thing in his pockets, he heard an outburst from the crowd and before Tristan could look back up, a swarm of fans ran down the sidewalk towards Atemu. "Shit!" he hissed. He pulled his phone back out and called Ryou. "Code red! Ryou, we have a code red you wanker!"

"What?" Ryou's voice was barely audible on the phone. He was going to ask Tristan what the hell he was talking about, but then he saw the mob outside on the red carpet. Ryou prayed to the gods that it wasn't Atemu. But he'd been in this business long enough to know that it probably was.

Dammit. Turning off the car and grabbing his pepper spray, Ryou maneuvered his way through the maze of vehicles, and not very gracefully but he wasn't looking for any performance points. He was nearly hit by one car and had to jump over the hood of another before he reached the curb and almost tripped over that too. By the time he got to the sidewalk, security had arrived to break up the calamity.

If Atemu was under this mountain of girls, there was no way he was alive. It wasn't a pretty site and even when security tried to break them up, there were still some girls who fought back and insisted on seeing Atemu because for some reason she deserved it more than the other fans. All of a sudden five more girls started arguing that they were the most deserving. Soon it broke out into a catfight and Ryou suddenly spotted Atemu at the back of the throng, a little scratched up but otherwise unharmed.

"Atemu," Ryou ran up to him and examined his face and rest of his body. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"There he is!"

Both Ryou and Atemu's eyes widened in horror before looking back and sprinting towards the inside of the hotel, followed by a million flashing camera lights and voices that sounded like they were caught in a blender and if only Atemu could get five minutes of fucking peace, he could get this party started.

Tristan wedged himself between Atemu and the paparazzi and the media and used all of his strength to push them back towards the door. Ryou on the other hand was trying to yank Atemu from the grip of a few psychotic fans who had gotten through security somehow. One girl had actually clawed Atemu's lower arm and left marks there. That was the last straw. Ryou thumped the girl on her forehead and when she was temporarily stunned, he grabbed his boss' arm and ran towards the pool, which was surrounded by panoramic views of Domino City and the DC Skyline. There was a sixty-foot outdoor rooftop pool and a Jacuzzi in an idyllic spot for hotel guests to relax and cool down in true native style in one of twelve poolside cabanas and enjoying a signature cocktail, refreshing juice or smoothie. Each cabana came complete with cordless telephones, flat-screen TVs, fans, heaters, safes and iPod docks. Hieroglyphs written by the best scribes were displayed all over the ceiling and carpets to really bring out the ancestral heritage of Egypt.

And above all that, Atemu was finally able to get some peace and quiet. After Ryou punched in the code to open the door to the pool, the two of them walked in silence down the grey-carpeted walkway that was encased inside and opened on the other side by a glass door. When Atemu and Ryou got outside, the young driver ordered two glasses of champagne for the bother of them.

Sitting in the chaise lounge chairs, Atemu breathed out a sigh when he sat down. "Shit never gets easier."

There were already members of housekeeping laying out towels on the other chairs and massage tables being set up near the oasis on the other side. This place was magical. It was still a wonder to Atemu that it all belonged to him.

"I don't want to leave you here, but I still have to go get the truck and park it," Ryou told his boss regretfully. "If I just leave it there, I'm gonna get a ticket."

"Yeah no problem, you've helped me enough Ryou," Atemu smiled thankfully and patted Ryou on the back before his driver returned up the ramp way to deal with the rest of the craziness.

Atemu was offered another glass of champagne but he declined. He normally embellished in alcohol but he needed to be completely sober during this party. It was going to be a challenge to entertain his guests in this hotel that offered almost two hundred guest rooms, including thirty-nine suites and eighteen private villas, nestled among lush tropical gardens in the heart of Domino City. It was in walking distance of the famous Kaiba Corporation and Atemu knew that the CEO of that company was a big deal because his events and charity balls were always on the front page of the newspaper the next day.

"Atemu, your presence is required," Tristan teased, seemingly coming out of nowhere and standing over his chair. "Your guests are growing restless."

That wasn't a good look. There were investors and members of the news and entertainment media and Atemu really needed to impress them. The first two launch parties went without a hitch but that was because his branches in California and New York weren't on native soil and this was the location that Atemu wanted to open all along. The reason behind it was too sentimental to think about right now, so he followed Tristan back toward the lobby and prepared himself for the chaos and ruckus.

"Did you at least greet the rest of the guests at the door?" Atemu asked his assistant.

"Yeah, almost half of them are here already," said Tristan, and checked his clipboard, uncapping the pen top and dabbing it lightly on his tongue before checking off a few names.

"Gross," Atemu made a face, "Do you even know where that's been?"

"Up your ass if you don't get out there and show your ugly face to everybody."

"Fuck you."

"Only if you promise to give me a raise afterwards."

Atemu shoved Tristan out of the way before he turned his face into his own personal punching bag. As soon as he opened the door the cameras flashed in his face and he was blinded by not only the light but the damn mirrors in the lobby reflected so bright, it would've started a fire. Atemu felt Tristan approach behind him and throw his hand in front of Atemu's face in order to block out all of the flashing lights so the damn paparazzi wouldn't accidentally give his boss a seizure.

In the distance, Atemu could see someone tall standing in the corner of the hotel near the elevators wearing the most expensive looking navy blue double breasted sportcoat. His dark chocolate hair fell in a stylish wave that curved his sharp, angular jawline. He had a flute in his hand, of what beverage Atemu didn't know, but damn if he didn't look good holding it. He was on the phone with someone and it seemed to be a pleasant conversation because Atemu could see the man's pearly white teeth glistening in the chandelier light.

Then it dawned on Atemu when he noticed the letters KC stitched on the man's front pocket and his stomach churned. Tristan was busy talking to the press live on camera when Atemu grabbed his collar by both hands and swung him around.

"Why is Kaiba here?" he demanded, his grey eyes wide.

"He's….on the guest list?" Tristan replied.

"No, he isn't," Atemu insisted and grabbed the clipboard from his assistant. His eyes scanned the paper up and down a few times and didn't see Kaiba's name. "I don't see his name, so why is he here?"

"Perhaps you two can handle this situation _off_ screen," Ryou suddenly cut in and pushed Atemu and Tristan out of the way with a swift shove with his hip and smiled and talked into the camera. Nearly forgetting that they were on live TV, Atemu dragged Tristan by the collar and brought him over towards the kiosks.

"Tristan, I gave you this responsibility because you guaranteed me that you wouldn't fuck this up. So far you've done well, but we need to address why the hell my ex boyfriend from college and near rival Seto Kaiba is at the grand opening of _my_ hotel and restaurant."

"Don't look at me, you were the one who gave your genius public relations people the green light to make this list, and you didn't tell them who not to invite."

"I gave you the responsibility."

"And I didn't want to handle such a feat so I passed it to them."

Well that wasn't good. Atemu didn't need anyone that could sabotage the party and ultimately the business to be here. He took the clipboard from Tristan once again and looked over the list.

And he was shocked at what he found.

"Malik Ishtar is on this list too? Are these people smoking crack or something?" Atemu cried, searching around the lobby and the mini bar for where Malik could be but he was nowhere to be found. It wasn't the worst person that could show up, but their relationship was nothing but kinky sex and it was just going to be awkward being in the same room with a guy who used butt plugs on you.

Atemu discovered other names on this list—Joey Wheeler, Mai Valentine, and Akefia Rollins were also on there. And also people that Atemu dated in college. Was this some sort of sick joke? He looked at Tristan with frantic eyes and all Tristan could offer in return was a sympathetic frown.

When the party began to fill with more people, Atemu walked toward the center of the lobby standing on top of the large rug that held the symbol of his entire empire: an insignia shaped like a cartouche with his name spelled in Egyptian in the center of the rug. Atemu sat in a deep plush couch next to the windows that displayed the pool on the other side. He pinched the bridge of his nose and covered half of his face with his palm, already ready for this party to be over.

"I'm going to the bathroom," he told Tristan and not waiting to hear any objections, Atemu made his way toward the elevators, walking around the corner to reach the bathroom.

And almost ran smack dab right into Yuugi.

It was like being struck by a train. Atemu froze in his spot, eyes wide in amazement as he was actually starting to believe he was growing delirious from all the stress of planning this launch party but no, his first love Yuugi Muto was standing right in front of him wearing a light grey and cream long sleeve dress shirt with lavender tie, and black slim fit jeans that hugged his narrow waist. He'd grown a few inches since high school and was now sporting rectangular framed glasses that protected his dramatic amber eyes. But when he first laid eyes on Atemu, his face blanched and Yuugi felt absolutely sick. He took a few steps back before Tristan ran up to Atemu and wrapped his arm around his boss' shoulder.

"And I saved the best for last," he grinned. Atemu turned his head to Tristan with an absolutely horrified look on his face when he realized that his own assistant was behind this. Tristan was hardly fazed by the death glare and he shook Atemu's shoulders. "Atemu this is Yuugi, and Yuugi this is—"

"We already know each other," Atemu said through clenched teeth. And boy, did they ever. Yuugi was the first person that Atemu was ever with and their breakup left nothing but questions in the air. Atemu took a small step forward towards his former lover to talk. "Yuugi can we—"

But it was already too late. Feeling his stomach twist in knots, Yuugi had to run and get away before he ended up puking all over this nice tile floor. Seeing Atemu brought back so many feelings, emotions and memories that he would rather forget and Atemu couldn't keep up with him if he tried because he was once again bombarded by tons of cameras, members of the media, fans and paparazzi and Yuugi had disappeared behind them.

Atem scowled. "I wish I was sixteen margaritas deep on a tropical island right now."

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 **Not to nag, but if you haven't already, could you check out the new poll on my profile? Thanks :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Enjoy! I'll proofread later.**

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It wasn't even the fact that Atemu was there, Yuugi honestly needed to go outside and get some fresh air. At least that's the mantra he kept repeating to himself.

Because there was no way in hell he could handle being near his ex-boyfriend again. The sheer audacity of that guy to invite Yuugi to something like this just proved what Yuugi already knew—Atemu hadn't changed a bit. He had gained major financial success without Yuugi and was now throwing it in his face. Showing off and bragging about his accomplishments like he was some special snowflake or something. Who the hell did Atemu think he was?

A douchebag was what he truly was. Even if he did look really good in that royal navy slim fit suit from Burberry, with his bulky muscles protruding from his black dress shirt and the way those slacks hugged his hips—God he was so hot. On top of everything else, those blazing honey eyes, melting Yuugi's insides like butter and that was only from looking at Atemu for two seconds.

But Yuugi knew Atemu long enough to know the affect he had on him, which is why he had to leave the lobby immediately. If he stayed there any longer, things would've been said and done, and Yuugi didn't trust himself enough to be alone with that man. No one could control Yuugi's actions but him but being in Atemu's presence was…intimidating sometimes.

And Yuugi wanted to kick himself for even having a second thought about the jerk. He assumed that when they broke up ten years ago, that it was it and they'd never crossed paths again. He'd never imagined when he received an invitation in the mail from his old friend Tristan Taylor that he'd be facing his past again when he absolutely was not ready. If Yuugi knew who was really behind the invitation, he wouldn't have even gave it a second thought and preferred to stay home watching something on Netflix. Or at least staying far away from Atemu.

But now he was stuck here. Yuugi's cab had already left and there was nowhere else he could go until later, so he went back into the hotel and decided to get as far away from everyone as possible.

Now what was Yuugi going to do? He would call Jonouchi, but his dear friend would have no means of transportation to get to this part of town and he was at least ten miles away. He didn't know what to do but he knew he had to make sure he was at a good distance away from Atemu.

His phone went off. Yuugi checked it expecting it to be someone else but no, the universe was really working against him today, because it was none other than that insufferable dickwad sending him a text.

 _Can we talk?_

What kind of question was that? Yuugi scowled and wanted to throw his phone across the pavement, but remained cool. He chuckled bitterly and gave the screen a middle finger before turning it back off and shoving it in his pockets. Stupid Atemu thinking he can come back into Yuugi's life like nothing happened. What nerve.

Yuugi was about to shove the thing back in his pocket when he got another text:

 _Please?_

How pathetic can he be? Yuugi snorted and rolled his eyes as he chucked his phone in his pocket.

Another message came:

 _This isn't fair, Yuugi. I didn't even know you were coming. Let's just talk, that's all I want to do._

At least this asshole's grammar was stellar because otherwise, Yuugi would've deleted the shit as soon as he read it. And besides all that, what kind of idiot did Atemu take him for? But still, for reasons unknown, Yuugi couldn't bring himself to delete the messages.

And that was the problem.

Twenty minutes and six text messages later, Yuugi soon found himself lost in this huge place. He was trying to see if he can locate the beach to find somewhere to clear his head and relax, because Atemu was starting to give him a migraine. Why did this guy not get it? Yuugi wasn't interested in him anymore! It's been ten years and there were absolutely no feelings left on his end.

But apparently, Atemu thought there was still something between them. Ridiculous.

The more Yuugi thought of his long time ex, the angrier he got. He was also pissed at Tristan for even inviting him here, knowing his history with Atemu. Sure, the guy didn't know every single detail, but he didn't need to. Tristan got the idea that Yuugi and Atemu were once and item and never more. But how Atemu convinced him to invite Yuugi, knowing what the consequence of that was, was a mystery.

But Yuugi was willing to bet that the answer to that mystery involved a few dead presidents.

Since there was no way he was getting a ride any time soon due to the horrific traffic, Yuugi reluctantly chose to rent a room for the night. Atemu wouldn't have to know, and even if he did find out, it's not like he could just barge into Yuugi's room. Whatever. Yuugi didn't care anymore. He walked around the majestic walkways and cream colored carpets, around the corner where he saw a long line of people at the bar (which wasn't surprising) and as Yuugi continued his walk, he began to see more and more people, dancing to music and raising up their glasses, toasting to what was no doubt another successful venue opening for Atemu himself. It figured the jerk hosted a party just to praise himself. Other CEOs didn't do stupid shit like this.

Or at least that's what Yuugi was trying to convince himself of. As he stood in line waiting to talk to a hotel clerk to inquire about a room, his phone went off again; no doubt it was Atemu continuing his relentless harassment. The jerk just refused to accept defeat.

Yuugi snorted at his ex's pathetic attempt to flirt: _You looked cute by the way. Really cute. And you've grown. You look amazing._

How foolish could one be? Yuugi rolled his eyes. Begging wasn't helping, so what made the idiot think flattery was going to get him any further than he was? Putting the phone back in his pocket, he realized that he was next in line.

"Hi! Welcome to Egypt's Crush!" the clerk was a really attractive brunette with a bob cut that really outlined her face. "Have you made a reservation here today?"

"No…" Yuugi said hesitantly, not even really knowing how much the rooms cost here, but knowing the ridiculousness of Atemu, nothing in this palatial palace was cheap. "How much can I get for just one night?"

The beautiful clerk, who Yuugi could see was dubbed Anzu Mazaki from her nametag, smiled as she looked through her computer. "Depends on what type of room you want sir."

"What's your cheapest?"

Anzu giggled. "I can give you a brochure of our rates if that helps."

Yuugi's cheeks tinted. "I guess that would help a little—goddammit. Sorry," he said through clenched teeth as his phone rang. Yuugi scowled when the contact name _Fuckboy_ popped up on the screen. He gave Anzu an apologetic smile and she returned an equally warm one because she's dealt with crazier shit than being stalked by an ex.

Yuugi didn't even wait for Atemu to say anything. He turned his body away so that Anzu couldn't hear him and he hissed so sharply into the reciever, enough to rival a serpentine. "Fuck. _Off_."

And then he hung up.

Atemu up to his old tricks again, Anzu thought amusedly. According to Tristan, Atemu lost his shit as soon as he saw his long time ex-boyfriend Yuugi, and then about two minutes later, she received a command through her earpiece from Atemu to keep an eye out for Yuugi.

And here he was.

After exhaling really loudly from frustration, Yuugi went back to looking at the brochure. Not expecting to find anything reasonable, he frowned and saw that the room that cost the least was three hundred bucks a night. Figure Atemu to jack the damn prices up so high in a part of town that wasn't even considered the upper echelon. Moron. Yuugi walked back up to Anzu to give her back the pamphlet.

"Oh no honey, it's yours to keep," she smiled sweetly, morphing back to character. "Did you decide on a room?"

Yuugi sighed. "Not really. I can probably only afford to stay in a guest room for a couple of hours."

"No problem. May I see your identification and major credit card please?"

"Sure thing."

Of course, Anzu wasn't going to actually charge the card because it'd already been paid for.

Yuugi decided that a few hours by himself in this place wasn't going to hurt. He needed some time alone to think about how he was going to handle seeing Atemu again if he did, being in the same building as him, and what he was going to do if somehow he found a way to track Yuugi down. Clearly he was being watched somehow and Yuugi was honestly expecting him to pop up out of nowhere behind a shrub, but the opportunity hadn't presented itself yet.

"Yuugi Mutou?"

"Yes, that's me."

Anzu clicked on a few items on the computer screen as she gave Yuugi back his cards. "I was specifically instructed to give you and upgrade to a Royal Suite if by chance you ever came up here to book a room." She gave him a small envelope. "Here are the keys. The suite is in the building to the south after you past the fiberglass pools. Have a nice day sir—"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Oh hell no. Yuugi interrupted Anzu as she was heading toward the back, waving the envelope in the air. "I can't afford this."

"Oh no worries sir, it's already been paid for."

Yuugi's eyebrow raised suspiciously. "By who?"

"I cannot say. The person has asked to remain anonymous."

"Of course they did." Yuugi had a few ideas on who it was but the choice was obvious and Yuugi really wanted to punch that choice in the face.

Anzu bowed her head and smiled. "I hope you have a good stay at Egypt's Crush sir, and please call the front desk if you need anything."

"Thanks." Yuugi wasn't too thrilled about having someone else pay for his room, even though he couldn't afford it anyways, but now he felt as though he owed this person. And Yuugi had a sneaking suspicion that the person who paid for his room was the last person on earth he wanted to see right now, or ever again in his life. And if that were the case, Yuugi wasn't going to give him a damn thing.

In the meantime, Yuugi was tired. It was Friday and he'd been working all day. He wasn't even going to come if Tristan hadn't begged him (and he was going to have a long talk with him once Yuugi found him again, wherever he was) and he was feeling more and more like he was being set up.

He would cross that bridge when he got to it, but for now, Yuugi just wanted to chill. That's it. After obtaining a map at the desk of Egypt's Crush, Yuugi realized that the architecture of this building was really complicated. He kind of already knew that, but actually looking at the blueprints were overwhelming. Kind of like Atemu's current insufferable personality. A match made in heaven.

His suite, Yuugi soon discovered, wasn't even in this building. It was in a whole different section altogether which seemed convenient to the person that gave him this room. That fact alone made Yuugi suspicious that it was Atemu who purchased this suite for him in order to back Yuugi into a corner so that they could "talk". But if Yuugi had anything to do with it, that was never going to happen. Not in a million years.

Why didn't this guy understand that it's over and it always will be?

After about thirty minutes of wandering and asking numerous bellhops where the Royal Suites were, Yuugi finally found it, and despite how he felt, he had to admit the suite was beautiful and way too big for just him. Entering through a marble foyer, Yuugi walked through the study, spacious sitting room and dining area that sat up to eight people. Along the way, he observed the sumptuous furnishings, beautiful artwork and bronze statutes from the original days of Egypt's Crush that connected him with a strong sense of Egypt's history. On one of the dining room tables, Yuugi found another brochure and picked it up to read it:

 _The master bedroom had been designed for true indulgence; on top of a stately four-poster lies a handspring mattress, each of its springs wound with cashmere wool. Positioned next to the bedroom is a walk-in dressing room with cedar-lined wardrobes large enough to accommodate even the keenest of shoppers and an in-suite his and hers bathroom with a deep jacuzzi bathtub and invigorating steam shower._

 _The service kitchen is perfect for those travelling with a personal chef, but there is also a butler on hand twenty-four hours a day to cater exclusively to guests staying in The Royal Suite, combining the skills of a traditional private butler with the efficiency and knowledge of a modern day personal assistant._

As Yuugi finished reading the brochure in his hand, the phone rang once again. At this point, he was honestly getting sick of Atemu's harassment and his patience was getting thin, so this had to stop now. Against his better judgement, he answered the phone to curse him out and tell him once and for all to fuck off.

He didn't even bother greeting him. "Isn't it time you crawled back into your hole, Satan?"

"Well, hello to you too Yuugi," Atemu's suave voice honestly made Yuugi's heart flutter and pissed him off at the same time but he did his best to ignore it. "Do you like the suite I booked for you?"

"No, and I would appreciate it if you didn't try to bribe me and throw your stupid money around just to persuade me. It's not working, and I can see right through your bullshit."

"That hurts," Atemu said mockingly. "That you would assume I was being nice to you under a false pretense. Did it ever occur to you that I was just trying to be hospitable?"

"It's been ten years but I hardly doubt you are the same person you were back when we were kids. And this hotel proves how arrogant you are," Yuugi said. "You may have them fooled, but you can't fool me. I know who you really are."

"What makes you think I'm trying to fool you Yuugi?"

"I honestly don't care what you're trying to do," said Yuugi looking at the time on his phone and saw that it was getting late, and he started to yawn and stretch. "I'm tired. I'm going home because I refuse to take anything that belongs to you."

"I've done nothing to you tonight Yuugi, yet you treat me like I'm a nobody off the street."

"You basically are."

"Do you honestly feel that way Yuugi?"

"Wouldn't be saying it if I didn't."

Atemu sighed. "I can see you're still mad at me."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Can you at least meet me by the pools so we can talk? I'd like to catch up."

"I don't think so." Yuugi's heart started racing at the thought of being alone with Atemu again. The way his body reacted to any thought of this douche bothered him. He wanted so badly to hate him, especially since Atemu was walking around the city with this new attitude that Yuugi thought was disgusting, to be honest.

"Why not?"

"I don't owe you an explanation."

"Well I owe you one."

Yuugi swallowed. He knew exactly what Atemu was talking about. "I'm hanging up—"

"Tell me where you are first."

"No!"

"I knew you would say that," Atemu had the nerve to chuckle. "I have security cameras all over the place Yuugi," the man warned him. "I can just have them find you on screen and inform me of your location."

"You're fucking crazy."

"Crazy in love with you."

Yuugi felt his heart drop to his stomach when he heard Atemu chuckle and fuck him, he sounded so sexy. "Idiot."

"Call me what you wish Yuugi, but we have unfinished business. I won't stop until you talk to me."

"What's there to talk about?" Yuugi snorted. "Get it through your head, I'm over you. What we had is ancient history. Leave me alone already!"

"I can't do that Yuugi," Atemu snapped. "Even if I wanted to, I can't let this go. Don't tell me you've forgotten about me? All the good and bad times we had? The love we shared. The love we made…" Atemu had to adjust his pants after saying that and Yuugi could practically hear the lust gushing through the phone from his end. "Have you forgotten about that Yuugi?"

"I've been trying," he said flatly. "I've been trying all this time to forget about you and I was doing a good job at it. I was finally at a place where you didn't cross my mind for once, and you just had to come and fuck all of that up."

"You sure seem fond of that word," Atemu smirked. "Are you secretly trying to tell me something Yuugi?"

"You're exhausting."

"And yet you haven't hung up on me yet."

"Because I'm mildly amused at your pathetic attempt to win me back."

"It must be working if you're still talking to me."

Yuugi snorted. "Goodbye Atemu."

And with that he hung up before the man could say anything else.

Yuugi had to admit that he was little entertained by that, however. But it didn't change anything. It changed nothing. He still hated Atemu for what he did and he was never going to get back together with him. That was the bottom line.

He knew it was a bad idea to come here, especially when Tristan wouldn't give him the complete details of who's party was being thrown. Yuugi should've known there was a reason he left out that one important detail.

And for that, he was going to murder Tristan for putting him in this situation.

"It's never goodbye Yuugi."

"What the—" Yuugi spun around and lord help him, the bastard Atemu was somehow standing at the door of his balcony! "How the fuck did you get in here?"

"Again with the F bomb? No 'hello Atemu?' or 'how are you Atemu?' You just demand to know why I'm here instead of embracing me with a hug?"

"I'll embrace you with a knife if you don't get the fuck out."

"When did you become so mean Yuugi?"

"When did you become so desperate?"

Atemu sighed. "I'm not. I just want to talk."

"What are you doing here?" Yuugi drawled with clenched teeth. "Why have you been blowing up my phone, watching me on camera and stalking me?"

"I told you that I have security cameras all over the place. I need to know what's going on at all times. In case you didn't notice, this hotel is humongous."

"That's not answering the question, moron," Yuugi snapped. "Why have you been harassing me? Is this how you treat all of your customers?"

"Only the cute ones."

"Get the fuck outta my room!" Yuugi screamed. "Before I call security on you!"

Atemu chuckled, his voice soothing like a lullaby and Yugi's hair stood on end at the back of his neck. "I am security Yuugi."

"No you're not," Yuugi snapped, feeling his voice quaking. "You're a fucking psycho trying to stalk and rape me."

"Trust me Yuugi if I wanted to have sex with you, I certainly wouldn't have to force myself on you," he made his way into Yuugi's suite from the outside and Yuugi gasped, walking backward until he hit a wall. "Because you know I'd never hurt you."

"Like hell I do," Yugi retorted. He panicked when Atemu took a few steps closer to him. "Stop! Don't come near me."

"But I just want to talk," Atemu insisted. "You don't have to be scared of me."

"You've been blowing up my phone and acting like a creeper, watching me on camera apparently and following me to my suite that you booked for me—" Atemu tried to interrupt but Yuugi shot his finger up and raised his voice. "—And now you've broken into my suite and my God if I knew you were going to be this relentless, I should've just left when I first thought of it, because if I did, I wouldn't be trapped here in this room with you! Why shouldn't I be scared of you? You're acting crazy!"

Atemu shoulders slumped. He didn't look like the cocky bastard that Yuugi thought him to be when they were talking over the phone. The man almost looked defeated but Yuugi wasn't going to let his guard down because at this point, he was convinced Atemu had lost his marbles.

"I don't know what came over me, but when I saw you…" Atemu's voice trailed off. Then he chuckled bitterly. "I guess I did go a little nuts. I made my staff turn on all the security cameras and watch them just in case you happened to walk past one of them because I didn't want you to leave…." He took a few more steps toward Yuugi. "I just had to talk to you again, Yuugi. I've missed you so much…"

"Shut up." Yuugi couldn't stand hearing that. "I can't….I can't do this," he mumbled and realized that he could smell Atemu's cologne from where he was standing. "This whole thing is weird. I came here because my friend Tristan asked me to. He said his other 'friend' was opening up a new hotel and told me he could invite one more person to the party, so he invited me. But if I knew this was your hotel, I wouldn't have come at all."

"Yuugi, I don't know what Tristan told you, but I didn't tell him to invite you. I would have been better prepared if I knew you were coming. But I am happy that you showed up."

"I'm sure you are," said Yuugi, crossing his arms and turning his head away because he couldn't stand to look at Atemu's annoyingly handsome face. "But I'm gonna kick Tristan's ass for setting me up."

"Do you honestly hate the sight of me that much? It's been ten years."

"Yes. I do."

"I don't believe that."

"I don't give a shit what you believe quite honestly," Yuugi was starting to get irritated. Atemu wasn't getting the hint that he wasn't wanted and maybe it was because he wasn't used to the rejection, but Yuugi wasn't going to let him get away with this. "You need to leave."

"Not until you talk to me."

"I'm done talking to you actually. As a matter of fact," Yuugi pushed Atemu toward the exit of the balcony door from which he came. "Go back to whatever hell you crawled out of Atemu, because I'm not interested in reconciling anything with you whatsoever."

In true Atemu fashion, he resisted. Yuugi had forgotten that up until now, Atemu was a few inches taller and definitely stronger than him. When the older man positioned his feet hard on the floor, Yuugi could no longer push him.

"I'm not leaving," Atem announced, swiveling his body around to face Yuugi again. "Not until you let me explain myself."

"I don't want to hear it!" Yuugi cried. "I don't want to hear anything from you Atemu!"

"Please," Atemu said a little softer. "Just let me explain."

"NO!"

"Fine." Atemu took a few steps backward and out of the suite. "But before I go, I want to ask you one favor."

Yuugi crossed his arms defensively and rolled his eyes. "What the hell do you want?"

Atemu's eyes darkened and Yuugi's heart thumped in his chest and he felt so exposed under the older man's scrutiny. "I want you to look me dead in my eyes and tell me that you don't love me. Don't blink. Don't look away. Don't squint. Tell me with a straight face. Then, I'll go away and you'll never hear from me again."

"What—" was this guy insane? "Of course I don't—"

"Then you'll have no problem telling me then. If so, then not only will I leave you alone, but I'll even call my driver Ryou to come take you home."

"I'd rather take an Uber."

Atemu shrugged indifferently. "Whatever you wish, Yuugi."

What the hell was he getting at? And who died and made Atemu king of the damn world? Yuugi was so mad, he wanted to punch him in the face, then maybe this asshole would get the hint, but since he wanted to be proven wrong so bad, Yuugi had an even better idea. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, and he could see Atemu's face crossed in confusion, even more so when Yuugi put the jewelry on his left ring finger.

"Where did you get that…." It wasn't so much as a question because Atemu didn't mean to say that out loud. His face tightened, throat swelled. He didn't want to believe what he was seeing.

"You said you wanted me to tell you if I didn't love you right?" Yuugi was relishing the shock on Atemu's face and he approached him closer. "Here's your proof. Right here." He pointed to the ring as he modeled his hand, sneering when Atemu's face seemed to pale.

"Yuugi," Atemu's voice almost came out as a squeak. "Are you telling me that—"

"Yep," he replied with an evil smile. "I'm engaged."


	3. Chapter 3

I have no excuse for the severe lack of updates for this story. I see that some of you really wanted an update and luckily, I've been working on this for the past few weeks. The next chapter is already being worked on, so you won't have to wait another two years (smh) for an update. This is more of a filler chapter, but I got tired of it not being updated. The next chapter will be much longer, I promise you. And all of your questions will be answered. In the meantime, enjoy.

* * *

Ryou couldn't find Atemu for hours. He and Tristan called and texted his phone repeatedly with no luck. The hotel was impossibly huge and looking for him would probably take all night. It took all of the entourage to keep the partygoers, namely Atemu's exes, at bay. The maestro was indisposed, and they had to keep it under wraps. Nobody could know that the owner of this hotel was possibly having a mental breakdown.

And for what? Over some spiky haired stranger? What about him triggered Atemu so badly? Why was Atemu suddenly obsessed with this person?

Ryou and Tristan didn't have time to think about it. Atemu told them to hold down the fort after he decided to chase this dude down. And then, he was never seen again. Anzu hinted that the spiky haired runt was another ex-boyfriend, but then why did he seem so much more important than the others?

And why did Ryou and Tristan not know about him until tonight?

There were too many one-sided questions. And the only person that could answer them was nowhere to be found.

Ryou finally got somewhat an explanation— _five hours_ after the party ended. At that point, he couldn't be angry—he just wanted to know if the man was okay.

Because up until that point, he _was_ okay.

Ryou pleaded and begged with Atemu to tell him what had happened, but all he got for a reply was: _I've lost him forever._

Unbeknownst to everyone, the spiky haired person was someone that—in Atemu's eyes—he should have _married_ long ago; someone that he never thought he would see again. But now that he showed up at Atemu's party, unannounced, and completely out of the blue, it gave Atemu new found hope. But it would make him initially flip his shit. It was like someone pushed him out of an airplane with no parachute.

He wasn't ready for the fall. But nothing could prepare him for the landing.

Yuugi was engaged; and it wasn't to him.

After his phone was being obliterated with a barrage of texts, Atemu decided to isolate himself. He couldn't be around anybody after that. Not after hearing that his true love now belonged to someone else.

After that cryptic text, neither Ryou or Tristan could get ahold of him, much less anyone else. They were usually the ones to get Atemu out of his funk most of the time. It didn't matter what type of blunder it was. Whether it be a big collaboration proposal that fell through (that damn Kaiba could be quite stubborn) or accidentally showing up at someone else's wedding, stealing the show and getting _arrested_ , Atemu could get and work his way through anything.

But was there a hidden room in the chambers of Atemu's heart that not even his closest friends were aware of? Who was Yuugi? Why hadn't Atemu ever mentioned him before? What did this Yuugi person do to Atemu that caused him to act in such a way that was out of character for their boss? He was such a cool guy, keeping a level head even under the bolder of pressure; But ever since the opening of Egypt's Crush in Domino City, Atemu hadn't been himself. So much so, that meetings and phone conferences had to be rescheduled. His monthly family get together was canceled. Tristan knew he'd never hear the end of it once Ishizu got in touch, but that was his boss' orders. After his calendar was clear, Atemu locked himself in his suite and threw his phone away.

And that was two days ago.

So now, he was doing nothing but sitting around his apartment. It was an ultra-modern fourteen hundred square foot home with three bedrooms and three bathrooms; An Egyptian style gem in the heart of Domino sat high on its lonely, grassy hill. The oversized condo was drenched in natural sunlight features with ten-foot-high ceilings; Sweeping floor-to-ceiling windows and breathtaking views in every room. Some features included customized window shades for maximum privacy, high quality hardwood floors throughout the apartment, spacious and bright living rooms, three large bedrooms, two out of which have their own walk-in closets and private bathrooms. The glamorous eat-in kitchen appliances were created with sleek stainless steel along with high-end kitchen cabinets. All three bathrooms were customized with modern high-end finishes and the latest bathroom fixtures. Each room had its own climate control through ductless split units, so the rooms could have their own temperature for more comfort.

The building sported a cozy lobby, elevator, two condo units per floor and big rooftop common area with endless views of Domino City. Within walking distance there were two subway stations, buses, parks, schools, shops and stores of all varieties including the freshest produce and amazing cuisines from all over the world.

Sure, this apartment all had all the trimmings and fixings that Atemu could ever want and need at his fingertips. Despite all of the people he encountered on a daily basis, he enjoyed his solitude. But seeing Yuugi again made Atemu realize that he needed someone to share his solitude with. The people that he brought home from all those business parties, trips, deals, successful negotiations, anniversary parties…they didn't count. Of course not. At best, was just an easy lay, a temporary distraction and means of release.

At worse, it was a futile way of trying to forget about his past, and it was a fail; Every single time. No matter how many men and women Atemu took to bed with him, he couldn't get the memories out of his mind. No matter how hard he tried to distract himself with these strangers, it was no use. Nobody ever gave him the feeling that Yuugi did. It was irreplaceable; Unforgettable. It ate away at Atemu, so much so, that he had to sleep with more and more people to mask the overwhelming pain. But it didn't work. Nothing did. These people did nothing for him. He _felt_ nothing for them. Which was okay, because the feeling was probably mutual. That's how it was in the business world. No one ever really gave a shit about you unless you had a lot of money. And even then, you'd never know if it was for the right reasons. It was why Atemu only relied on two people to have his back at all times.

But there was something missing. In a room full of clients and potential business partners kissing his ass and throwing their money and bodies at him, Atemu always felt empty. Because the only person he craved to be near again wasn't in the room. He never would be again, and it was Atemu's fault.

His stupid fault.

He didn't blame Yuugi one bit for how he reacted at the hotel. Atemu could only imagine how that felt. Seeing the person who crushed your heart into a million pieces ten years ago come back into your life "by accident". Atemu couldn't believe Yuugi reacted as rationally as he did. It could've been worse.

Atemu was anxious. His stomach felt sick and his chest was riddled with heartburn. He couldn't stop thinking about Yuugi. Ever since he ran into him at his hotel and subsequently _stalked_ him and backed him into a corner…Atemu was convinced he was losing his mind coming up with ideas on how to get him back.

The more he ruminated, the more Atemu craved to be near Yuugi again—to even lay eyes on him. He wanted to tell Yuugi how sorry he was. Atemu wanted to call him up right now and tell him that he didn't mean what he said ten years ago and beg Yuugi to take him back. Because that stupid mistake he made has been haunting his dreams ever since.

But, how could he? Yuugi wanted nothing to do with him, and for good reason too. Atemu broke his heart; left Yuugi standing in the rain. Why would he take him back? Sure, it was a good reason they had to break up, but that didn't mean Atemu wanted to do it. But high school had ended, and college was around the corner. Atemu and Yuugi wanted to go to different schools and soon, they would need to say their goodbyes. Yuugi was dragging his feet, so _someone_ had to rip the band-aid. Atemu just hated that it had to be him.

It wouldn't have been so horrible if that was the only reason for their breakup. It was a bitter pill to swallow, something that Atemu still had trouble accepting. And he felt weak for it.

Still, despite his turmoil, he excelled in college. He graduated top of his class and he went on to become a successful businessman. Atemu worked his ass off until he became a millionaire-without Yuugi by his side. And now he was flaunting his wealth in Yuugi's face. Why should he forgive Atemu at this point? Why would Yuugi even want to see him ever again?

It only made his surprise arrival at Egypt's Crush all the more emotional.

Of course, Atemu lost it. Of course, he went nuts. Who wouldn't when the love of your life is suddenly back _in_ your life? Anyone would've went to great lengths to get them back, even at the risk of looking like the crazy ex. A part of Atemu couldn't help it. Yuugi was everything to him. Always was. He couldn't let him go a second time.

But now, there was a new obstacle to overcome: Yuugi was engaged to someone else that _wasn't_ him. Atemu couldn't believe it. He was still having a hard time accepting it.

He didn't know if he ever would.

Atemu was sitting lifeless on his light blue wraparound couch in the living room that faced a window, overseeing the skyline of entire city. His apartment sat up on a hill above the city and away from prying eyes, which was an excellent way to be alone with his thoughts. Atemu had plenty of them.

He ran his hand through his hair and leaned the back of his head against the pillow. What was he going to do about Yuugi? How could he get him back now? "Fuck me," he groaned under his breath.

"I've been trying to for the past twenty minutes, but you'd rather sit on the couch and do nothing."

A soft whisper in the dark stirred Atemu out of his thoughts. Before he could react, a pair of hands slid down his shoulders, massaging them gently. "I was starting to get lonely in there."

Atemu all but forgot about the woman that was waiting for him in his bedroom. He was so preoccupied and consumed by thoughts of Yuugi, she was the furthest from his mind. Now he knew he was losing it. If a hot woman barely wearing clothes couldn't take Atemu's mind off of Yuugi, what would?

She had on a very revealing lilac negligee that was open in all the right places for Atemu to have easy access. It accentuated her body, hugging her curves, hips and shaping her ass. It was a wonder Atemu didn't take her right then and there. Nobody was in the apartment but them, even the chef and maid were given the night off. It would've been simple for Atemu to take his frustrations about Yuugi out on her.

But, right now he didn't want to. At least…not until she started rubbing on his chest and playing with his nipples.

"I'm horny," she whined in his ear. It almost sounded like a moan. "You brought me all the way over here just to sit on a sofa and look out of a window?" her hands were reaching dangerously low, touching Atemu's belly button. "And to think, I put on this sexy lingerie for you."

Which Atemu appreciated, but he just couldn't get in the mood. "I'm sorry, Mai."

"Don't be sorry," she purred, her hand going even further down his stomach until she reached hem of his boxers. "Just shut up and do me. Like you used to in college."

Atemu's cock stirred.

What was he just thinking about again? Whatever it was had all but been forgotten once Mai started touching him. Atemu's dick was now poking through his pants. All the blood that was in his head had traveled down south. He needed to take care of this problem, and _now_.

He stood up from the couch and turned around to find Mai sitting on the kitchen island. Her long, blond hair lay in between her bosom. She tilted her head and crossed her legs at her ankles. "Like what you see?"

Atemu responded without words, stalking over and lifting her up, guiding her legs to wrap around his waist. "You can ride me later. Right now, I'm gonna fuck you on this kitchen table. You okay with that, Yuugi?"

She chuckled. "Yuugi. I think all the blood from your head's gone all the way down to your cock and is messing with your ability to speak."

 _Fuck_. He'd called her Yuugi by mistake and hadn't even noticed. Still, Atemu tried to save face. "That must be it." He walked them to the couch and spread her legs open, so he could quickly lower his boxers and take them off. When he looked back up at her smiling face, he saw Yuugi.

Not Mai Valentine, his ex-girlfriend who he was about to sleep with.

Atemu blinked a few times and his eyes came into focus. Blonde hair, tan skin and mauve eyes. The two looked nothing alike.

But he couldn't shake the image of Yuugi in his head.

"Dammit," Atemu stood up and dragged his hand through his hair wanting to yank it out. This was becoming a serious problem. He couldn't even make love to another person ever since he ran into Yuugi again. Now, Atemu was seeing him in other people!

 _That's it. I'm gonna go win Yuugi back even if it means I lose everything._


End file.
